McCain draws less than 1,000 in Albuquerque. Estimate for Obama's arrival tonight: 40,000.

[Amerigo Vespucci]

October 25, 2008, 1:38 PM

Does Crowd Size Matter? McCain Hopes Not

Posted by John Bentley



Democratic presidential candidate, Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., arrives at a rally in Las Vegas, Saturday, Oct. 25, 2008.
(AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

http://www.cbsnews.com/blogs/2008/10/25/politics/fromtheroad/entry4545511.shtml

(ALBUQUERQUE, N.M.) – Playing up his ties to the area as a senator from the neighboring state of Arizona, John McCain pitched himself to New Mexico voters as the candidate that best understands their issues.

“I’m a fellow westerner, I understand these issues, I understand land and water and Native American issues and border issues and I understand the challenges that a great, great western states face with our growth and our needs and our challenges,” McCain said. “Sen. Obama has never been south of our border, you know that? And he doesn’t know these issues. I know them, I know what the southwest is, I know the strength and the culture of our Hispanic culture and the strength of our great states.”

The problem for the McCain campaign is that less than 1,000 people heard him make this argument at his rally here, compared with the 40,000 that are expected to greet Barack Obama when he arrives in town this evening.

Crowd size doesn’t determine the outcome of presidential races, of course. John Kerry had huge crowds in 2004, and George McGovern famously outdrew Richard Nixon in the 1972 race, only to go on to win a single state in the election.

The McCain camp has also tried to turn Obama’s crowd sizes against him, calling him the “world’s biggest celebrity.” McCain mocked the huge numbers Obama drew in Europe at the Sturgis motorcycle rally in South Dakota. “Not long ago, a couple of hundred thousand Berliners made a lot of noise for my opponent,” McCain said in August. “I’ll take the roar of 50,000 Harleys any day.”

But Obama’s solid lead in the polls here seem to reinforce what the crowd sizes indicate – that Obama has the edge in this state that went for Bush four years ago, no matter who their next door neighbor is.

[polichick]

1. Obama is in Albuquerque tonight?

[Amerigo Vespucci]

3. The CBS News Blog post has today's date...

...opens with "(ALBUQUERQUE, N.M.)," and the author mentions "the 40,000 that are expected to greet Barack Obama when he arrives in town this evening," so I've got to assume it's correct.

[polichick]

6. Lol - bet that was no accident! Comparison is good.

[Hope And Change]

4. Yes, that is correct...

http://my.barackobama.com/page/s/nmboalbuquerque

[HughBeaumont]

2. Problem is, John . . . those 50,000 Harleys were there ANYWAY.

They didn't specifically come to see you, like Obama's crowd in Berlin did. That's the difference.

You couldn't PAY people to see your doddering ass trying to talk.

[Amerigo Vespucci]

5. Yeah, but the eight people who showed up at the Sausage Haus were really into it.

:rofl:

[blonndee]

7. He knows "the strength of the Hispanic culture?" HA!

I was canvassing all day today (and weekend before last) in probably 90% Hispanic neighborhoods here in NM. I've found exactly THREE McCain supporters, about six undecided, and the rest are OBAMA, and most are doing so quite enthusiastically! And they have been getting out and talking to their friends and families about it. One of the strengths of the "Hispanic culture" (I would rather call it the local Mexican-American community) here is their close ties to family and friends--there is a strong sense of community and duty to one other. This is something that Obama represents to them and offers as a broader way of life for our country. This is something that lots of people I've talked to are excited about. They not only want things to change, but they want to be part of that change. And it's something that is absolutely foreign to McCan't and his kind--they're all about me, me, me. His "Hispanic" pandering will absolutely NOT work here.

[clydefrand]

8. Number at Albuquerque

KOB TV reports 8,000 there for Mc*. However, I'm sure Obama will have a much much bigger crowd.